Study on the Pore Structure of Lightweight Mortar with Nano-Additives.

With the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have been introduced to improve the engineering properties of cement-based building materials. An abundant number of studies have been carried out on normal-weight concrete using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or nano-silica (NS) and have proven their effectiveness. Nevertheless, still very few investigations are available in terms of lightweight cement-based materials, especially when MWCNTs and NS are binarily incorporated.

Functionalization of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nano‑calcium sulphate and fucoidan 3D scaffold using human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells for bone tissue engineering application.

This study aimed to functionalize a novel porous PLGA (Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid) composite scaffold in combination with nano‑calcium sulphate (nCS) and/or fucoidan (FU) to induce osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells. The composite scaffolds (PLGA-nCS-FU, PLGA-nCS or PLGA-FU) were fabricated and subjected to characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). The biocompatibility and osteogenic induction potential of scaffolds on seeded human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSCs) were studied using cell attachment and alamar blue cell viability and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin and osteogenic gene expression, respectively.

Calcium phosphates enhanced with liposomes - the future of bone regeneration and drug delivery.

Effective healing and regeneration of various bone defects is still a major challenge and concern in modern medicine. Calcium phosphates have emerged as extensively studied bone substitute materials due to their structural and chemical resemblance to the mineral phase of bone, along with their versatile properties. Calcium phosphates present promising biological characteristics that make them suitable for bone substitution, but a critical limitation lies in their low osteoinductivity.

Electrospun Nanofibers for Biomedical, Sensing, and Energy Harvesting Functions.

The process of electrospinning is over a century old, yet novel material and method achievements, and later the addition of nanomaterials in polymeric solutions, have spurred a significant increase in research innovations with several unique applications. Significant improvements have been achieved in the development of electrospun nanofibrous matrices, which include tailoring compositions of polymers with active agents, surface functionalization with nanoparticles, and encapsulation of functional materials within the nanofibers. Recently, sequentially combining fabrication of nanofibers with 3D printing was reported by our group and the synergistic process offers fiber membrane functionalities having the mechanical strength offered by 3D printed scaffolds.

Multispectral Imaging Analysis of Skin Lesions in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare disease, affecting around 1 in 3500 individuals in the general population. The rarity of the disease contributes to the scarcity of the available diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Multispectral imaging is a non-invasive imaging method that shows promise in the diagnosis of various skin diseases.

The Detection of Colorectal Cancer through Machine Learning-Based Breath Sensor Analysis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While CRC screening is already part of organized programs in many countries, there remains a need for improved screening tools. In recent years, a potential approach for cancer diagnosis has emerged via the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using sensor technologies.

Comparison of Contact Electrification Mechanisms of Selected Polymers and Surface-Functionalized Molecules.

Among the possible alternatives for the improvement of contact electrification for triboelectric energy harvesting purposes, the functionalization of contact surfaces has attracted wide attention due to its versatility and cost-efficiency. Similarly, low-stiffness polymeric materials such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are regarded as a promising choice of contact material for the same purpose. However, for defining the most efficient combinations of materials of the aforementioned types, a number of theoretical questions still frequently pose difficulties for practical implementation-related tasks.

Investigation of Weak Noncovalent Interactions Directed by the Amino Substituent of Pyrido- and Pyrimido-[1,2-]benzimidazole-8,9-diones.

Quinones are small redox-active molecules that are able to form intra- and intermolecular interactions both in the solid state and in solution. On the basis of 6-amino-substituted pyrido- and pyrimido-[1,2-]benzimidazole-8,9-diones, weak interactions were investigated by single-crystal X-ray and H NMR spectroscopy methods. Crystallization of quinone derivatives containing a -NH-CH- fragment led to the formation of both chiral and achiral crystals.

Tools for classification of growing/non-growing bacterial colonies using laser speckle imaging.

Prior research has indicated the feasibility of assessing growth-associated activity in bacterial colonies through the application of laser speckle imaging techniques. A subpixel correlation method was employed to identify variations in sequential laser speckle images, thereby facilitating the visualization of specific zones indicative of microbial growth within the colony. Such differentiation between active (growing) and inactive (non-growing) bacterial colonies holds considerable implications for medical applications, like bacterial response to certain drugs or antibiotics.

Effect of 3D printed replicas on the duration of third molar autotransplantation surgery: A controlled clinical trial.

Background/aim: This study aimed to develop a protocol that combines cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), software, and 3D printing to design 3D replicas for tooth autotransplantation. The goal was to evaluate the impact of this approach on the extraoral time of the donor teeth and the total surgical time, thereby enhancing surgical efficiency and outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A non-randomized trial (protocol 10.

Measurement of the top quark mass using a profile likelihood approach with the lepton + jets final states in proton-proton collisions at .

The mass of the top quark is measured in 36.3 of LHC proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at . The measurement uses a sample of top quark pair candidate events containing one isolated electron or muon and at least four jets in the final state.

Tailoring FPOX enzymes for enhanced stability and expanded substrate recognition.

Fructosyl peptide oxidases (FPOX) are deglycating enzymes that find application as key enzymatic components in diabetes monitoring devices. Indeed, their use with blood samples can provide a measurement of the concentration of glycated hemoglobin and glycated albumin, two well-known diabetes markers. However, the FPOX currently employed in enzymatic assays cannot directly detect whole glycated proteins, making it necessary to perform a preliminary proteolytic treatment of the target protein to generate small glycated peptides that can act as viable substrates for the enzyme.

Observation of τ Lepton Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

We present an observation of photon-photon production of τ lepton pairs in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions. The measurement is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 404  μb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV.

Thin-film conformal fluorescent SU8-phenylenediamine.

The SU8 polymer is a negative photoresist widely used to produce high-quality coatings, with controllable thicknesses ranging from nanometers to millimeters, depending on fabrication protocols. Apart from conventional use cases in microelectronics and fluidics, SU8 is quite an attractive platform in nanophotonics. This material, being straightforwardly processed by ultraviolet lithography, is transparent to wavelengths longer than 500 nm.

A search for decays of the Higgs boson to invisible particles in events with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson in proton-proton collisions at .

A search for decays to invisible particles of Higgs bosons produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson, which both decay to a fully hadronic final state, has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected at by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138. The 95% confidence level upper limit set on the branching fraction of the 125 Higgs boson to invisible particles, , is 0.54 (0.

Hybrid Approach to Colony-Forming Unit Counting Problem Using Multi-Loss U-Net Reformulation.

Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) counting is a complex problem without a universal solution in biomedical and food safety domains. A multitude of sophisticated heuristics and segmentation-driven approaches have been proposed by researchers. However, U-Net remains the most frequently cited and used deep learning method in these domains.

Comparative Analysis of Predictive Interstitial Glucose Level Classification Models.

Background: New methods of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) provide real-time alerts for hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and rapid fluctuations of glucose levels, thereby improving glycemic control, which is especially crucial during meals and physical activity. However, complex CGM systems pose challenges for individuals with diabetes and healthcare professionals, particularly when interpreting rapid glucose level changes, dealing with sensor delays (approximately a 10 min difference between interstitial and plasma glucose readings), and addressing potential malfunctions. The development of advanced predictive glucose level classification models becomes imperative for optimizing insulin dosing and managing daily activities.

Human Osteoblasts' Response to Biomaterials for Subchondral Bone Regeneration in Standard and Aggressive Environments.

Osteochondral lesions, when not properly treated, may evolve into osteoarthritis (OA), especially in the elderly population, where altered joint function and quality are usual. To date, a collagen/collagen-magnesium-hydroxyapatite (Col/Col-Mg-HAp) scaffold (OC) has demonstrated good clinical results, although suboptimal subchondral bone regeneration still limits its efficacy. This study was aimed at evaluating the in vitro osteogenic potential of this scaffold, functionalized with two different strategies: the addition of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) and the incorporation of strontium (Sr)-ion-enriched amorphous calcium phosphate (Sr-ACP) granules.

Novel radionuclides for use in Nuclear Medicine in Europe: where do we stand and where do we go?

Background: In order to support the ongoing research across Europe to facilitate access to novel radionuclides, the PRISMAP consortium (European medical radionuclides programme) was established to offer the broadest catalog of non-conventional radionuclides for medical and translational research. The aim of this article is to introduce readers with current status of novel radionuclides in Europe.

Main Body: A consortium questionnaire was disseminated through the PRISMAP consortium and user community, professional associations and preclinical/clinical end users in Europe and the current status of clinical end-users in nuclear medicine were identified.

Opportunities for resource recovery from Latvian municipal sewage sludge.

Sewage sludge is a type of waste that has high health and environmental risks associated with its reuse. Moreover, sludge has been neglected in global circular economy targets because it is generated in considerably lower quantities than municipal solid waste. At the same time, European Union's transition towards circular economy has set the need to reduce the amount of waste and to promote the production of secondary raw materials.

Styrylpyridinium Derivatives for Fluorescent Cell Imaging.

A set of styrylpyridinium (SP) compounds was synthesised in order to study their spectroscopic and cell labelling properties. The compounds comprised different electron donating parts (julolidine, -dimethylaminophenyl, -methoxyphenyl, 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl), conjugated linkers (vinyl, divinyl), and an electron-withdrawing -alkylpyridinium part. Geminal or -compounds incorporating two styrylpyridinium (-SP) moieties at the 1,3-trimethylene unit were synthesised.

May 1,2-Dithiolane-4-carboxylic Acid and Its Derivatives Serve as a Specific Thioredoxin Reductase 1 Inhibitor?

Thioredoxin reductase is an essential enzyme that plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis by catalyzing the reduction of thioredoxin, which is involved in several vital cellular processes. The overexpression of TrxR is often associated with cancer development. A series of 1,2-dithiolane-4-carboxylic acid analogs were obtained to verify the selectivity of 1,2-dithiolane moiety toward TrxR.

Cyclic Load Impact Assessment of Long-Term Properties in Compression to Steel and Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibre-Reinforced Geopolymer Composites.

This study investigates the cyclic load application impact on fly-ash-based geopolymer composites that are reinforced with a low amount of fibre reinforcement. For reinforcement purposes, polyvinyl alcohol and steel fibres are used. For testing purposes, four geopolymer composite mixes were made, three of which had fibre reinforcement.